As I enter my senior year at the University of New Hampshire, I feel as though I know all of the ins and outs of the Durham, New Hampshire campus. When I arrived at my dorm on move-in day, freshman year, I was terrified and felt lost on what seemed to be a never-ending campus. I quickly regained my balance thanks to living in a great dorm and being surrounded by great people. I lived in Christensen Hall, which is located next to Williamson Hall, another freshman dorm. Everyone who lived in these dorms was very friendly, and many would leave their doors open in an effort to be social and make new friends. Christensen and Williamson Hall are conveniently located next to one of three dining halls on campus, Philbrook Dining Hall. I’d see lots of students from my classes at the dining hall on a daily basis. When the weather was nice, students would take a break from studying to lie in the sun or toss frisbees on the quad. It was amazingly easy to make friends in an environment that promoted unity among students.
It was as easy to get involved on campus as it was to make new friends. During the first few weeks of school, UNH holds its annual “University Day” during which the dining halls are shut down and there is a massive cookout on Main St. Every student at the school is invited, as well as professors and their families! After students grab a burger and a soda, they can walk around and check out the different clubs and organizations that UNH offers. It’s like a giant fair of activities! Since UNH is such a big school, there are lots of different types of activities to investigate. One can become involved in anything from Greek life to sporting teams to volunteer groups.
The setup of UNH is exactly what one might imagine when asked to picture a “typical” college campus. The town of Durham is small so the school makes up the majority of it. The downtown area is filled with restaurants, bars, and a few shops. There is also the infamous “DUMP” which stands for Durham Marketplace. The “DUMP” is within walking distance from campus and is a market that sells local goods and is surrounded by other eateries and a pharmacy. My favorite place at the “DUMP” is Kaleida-Scoop; an ice cream shop that has an incredible black raspberry chocolate chip flavor.
When it comes to classes, UNH makes course selection very simple freshman year. During orientation, the students meet with the dean and advisors of the school they are in. I entered into the Whittemore School of Business and Economics and I was guided in choosing the classes I needed to take towards my business degree. Selecting classes for the first time can be very daunting, but my advisors made the process very painless, and I enjoyed all of my classes! My classes were relatively small except for the occasional large lecture. The largest class I had was a math class that was made up of more than two hundred students. Although I had the large lecture three days a week, I also attended a smaller math class taught by the teaching assistant. Professors at UNH always have office hours during which students can visit them to ask questions or just to talk. It’s a great way to get to know the professor and make sure they know you, when you are in a large class.
The gymnasium at UNH has an indoor track, rock climbing wall, aerobics rooms for classes, and racquetball courts. Unfortunately, the gym is too small for such a large school. The athletes have their own special gym, but the rest of us are stuck waiting in lines to use an elliptical. The one good thing about the gym is the track. Students can always run without having to wait. I’ve taken plenty of exercise classes as well; everything from spinning to zumba. There is also a sauna inside the locker rooms.
I couldn’t be happier with my choice to go to UNH. Looking back at my senior year of high school, it was kind of a blur when deciding where to apply. I ended up choosing UNH, and although I’m not sure of my exact reason why, I’m so thankful that I did. UNH allowed me to find an amazing group of friends, take wonderful classes, and feel like part of a community on the Durham campus. I’m sad to say this will be my last year at “the U”.
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